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White House Cheat Sheet: Democrats Ca$h in on Rush

Democrats are using Rush Limbaugh to raise money. AP Photo by Ron Edmonds

A number of Democratic candidates and committees are using the controversial remarks made by conservative-talk radio host Rush Limbaugh about President Obama to raise money and recruit volunteers to their causes.

In an email sent to supporters late Thursday and entitled "Kowtow," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee executive director J.B Poersch writes, "when Rush says jump, congressional Republicans say how high?" and urges recipients to sign a petition condemning Limbaugh's behavior and calling on Senate GOPers to "declare their independence" from him.

A similar missive came out of the Democratic Governors Association as well. "Did you hear what Rush said?" writes DGA executive director Nathan Daschle, adding that Limbaugh and his acolytes will do everything they can to block the implementation of Obama's economic stimulus plan. The best way to stop Rush? Why, send money to the DGA of course.

And, the Democratic National Committee is raising money to sponsor a billboard in Limbaugh's hometown to "send him a message", according to an email sent by DNC executive director Jen O'Malley Dillon.

The appeals by the DNC, DSCC and DGA are the latest but far from the only evidence of how Democrats are seeking to use Limbaugh's comments as a cudgel against Republicans. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, who is running for governor in Virginia, sent a letter to state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the GOP nominee, calling on him to renounce Rush, and followed that up with an email petition drive aimed at pressuring McDonnell to "prove" his bipartisan credential by casting Limbaugh off the Republican island.

"Bob McDonnell says he knows how to work across party lines," said Mo Elleithee, a consultant to McAuliffe's campaign. "He can prove it by showing that he is willing to stand up to the de facto head of his party and repudiate his divisive rhetoric."

The appeal of these appeals is obvious for Democrats. As popular as Limbaugh is among the conservative base, he is equally reviled among liberal Democrats -- the very same group that is most likely to give money or donate their time to a candidate or committee.

While neither the DGA nor the DSCC would discuss what sort of response -- financial or otherwise -- their email petitions have received, one source familiar with the DSCC effort said it was on pace to rival a similar email sent out after then President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of former Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby, who was convicted of obstruction in the Valerie Plame leak investigation.

In the end, this may be the lasting impact of Limbaugh's raised profile in the national political debate. It's highly unlikely that any candidate will win or lose in 2010 as a direct result of Limbaugh but the indirect effect on Democratic fundraising, organizing and base-rallying could be sustained and significant.

Obama in Ohio: President Obama jets to Columbus, Ohio today to speak at a police officer graduation. The idea is to tout the economic stimulus plan as some of the money sent to the Buckeye State was used to retain these new graduates rather than let them go.

Friday Must-Reads: Scanning the world of news for the best and brightest.

DCCC Weighs in on NY-20: Keep an eye on the Albany media market today and you just might catch the first ad paid for the by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's independent expenditure arm. With a little over three weeks remaining in the special election race between state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R) and businessman Scott Murphy (D), the DCCC will weigh in -- seeking to use their financial might to overcome the efforts of the National Republican Congressional Committee for Tedisco. GOP strategists have privately fretted about the DCCC's continuing financial edge and how they might bring it to bear in this race. No details on the extent of the ad buy yet but Democrats want to keep this Upstate seat in their column to keep up the momentum built last fall.

Twitter Drive: As of yesterday, we are nearing 7,750 followers. The goal is 10,000. Perhaps a giveaway of a few Fix T-shirts would do the trick? Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Sign up to follow "TheFix" and "TheHyperFix."

McCain Mafia Reunites: John McCain's presidential campaign is over but four men who were intimately involved in that effort have banded together to form The Trailblazer Group, a GOP consulting firm based in Alexandria, Va. The four founding partners are: Craig "Goldy" Goldman, who ran McCain's Straight Talk PAC and served as a regional campaign manager during a portion of the general election; Christian Ferry, deputy campaign manager for McCain; Doug Davenport, a regional campaign manager who stepped aside last May due to his lobbying ties; and Ryan Price, the deputy national political director of McCain's presidential bid. "We are pleased to be able to offer our clients a public affairs business model that allows us to work both inside the beltway and in all the 50 states to best represent their needs," said Goldman.

The Clown is Back: For all of those (like the Fix) who mourned the departure of Krusty Conservative from the Iowa blogosphere, the time to rejoice is now. Krusty along with a passel of other GOP bloggers has re-formed under the umbrella of The Iowa Republican. Bookmark it. You'll thank us when presidential caucus season rolls around.

More Charlie Pics!: For those of you who have wanted to see a few more shots of the latest addition to the Fix family (and who wouldn't?), check out this and this.

Say What?: "It really is an honor to have him here and I know for some of my staff, and for bragging rights to my children and my grandchildren, a real treat for me as well." -- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) gushes, er, introduces actor Brad Pitt on Capitol Hill Thursday.

I'm appalled at the way the media and WH has taken Rush's remarks out of context and nobody cares. He didn't say he wanted Obama to fail.. He said he wanted Obama's policies to fail. That's an entirely different thing. I heard Rush's remarks on his show when Sean Hannity was interviewing him. He never said he wanted Pres Obama to fail. He said he wanted the socialist policies to fail. Don't believe things the medica tell you to. Think for yourself after you actually hear the remarks said. This whole thing is a big todo about nothing. Smear campaign.

another topic that bothers me? when gasoline, oil prices, were manipulated by investors, last year, prices rose to over$5.00 per gallon. it was explained to people as a futuristics speculation practice? Now, the stock market susposedly reacts to every small piece of information with a negative impact? Could rich speculators be deliberately causeing the very poor stock market daily bad performances just to make Pres Obamas economic policies look negative? Could investors be deliberately using the dow, in and attempt to make the Obama economic plans look bad in order to gain control of his economic policy plans. I could see power players deliberately taking losses now in order to gain control of the economy in a way to favor the rich long term by manulipulating the dow short term?

Rush Limpballs is an entertainer who chases ratings. it is also interesting that with all his wealth, he continues to get heavier? He reminds me of an overweight eunich, impotent at both ends, especially mentally and emotionally impotent? Even if his anger is faked for entertainment and ratings purposes, he looks like a heart attack waiting to happen? He, and his evil twin, karl rove, reminds me of two bookends? rcm.

Rush has been speaking for the Republican party for years. It's time he's finally getting the credit for his efforts. I'd send him a Congratulations card, but I've been downsized (Thanks to the fine oversight of our economy by the Republicans) and need to save the dollar.

What I can't figure out is why Bush and the GOP is taking no responsibility for this economic mess? Their whole view of the world (cut taxes increase defense spending, and "balance the budget") has proven to be a diaster for the entire country. Since 1980, there has been $9 trillion worth of new debt all under Republican Presidents (Clinton ran a surplus over 8 yearsa) and now the GOP finds deficit spending the as the wrong policy. You would think that the GOP would have learned something in this time, but alas, they keep preaching the same policies that have tanked the economy. The GOP gives hypocrisy a bad name......

I wouldn't set too much importance in the flap over Limbaugh as the "voice" of the Republican Party.

Rush is not a politician, he's a radio entertainer. The more outrageous he is on radio, the more the conventiaonal media pick up what he says and the higher his ratings go. It underscores for the moment that the GOP has no national leader. McCain doesn't et that mantle because he lost, and the strong conservatives have never considered him a leader anywhay.

The Senate leader for the Republicans is way too plain jane to be a rallying point.

But it's early in the game. I am old enough to remember how the Republican obituary was written in 1964 after the big losses that went with LBJ's landslide win. Likewise in 1974 when the GOP lost big in the post-Watergate election.

So it's too early to count them out. or assume that a radio comentator will be the permanent lighting rod.

Most who have read me here know I'm a Democrat. So believe me I would like to believe that the Republican party has disintegrated so bavly that Rush is all they have.

But I am also pragmatic. Our success in the mid-term looks good from this early date. The GOP retirements, especially in places like New Hampshire make things look good for a padding of the majority. Only moderate incumbants in the Senate give the GOP any posts at all in the forner GOP stronghold of New England.

But that is now. November '10 will be then. Rush will still be on the air, collecting millions, which is due as much o those of us that love to hate him as those who love him. But the GOP will rise or fall on its own effort.
Key is going to be if Obama's leadership seems to be working on the economy by fall of 2010. If it does and he still holds a strong approval rating, then it will likely be a good elelction for the Democrats. If not so good it could be either status quo or a pick up by Republicans.

Carville and Bagalia, Rahm now thats Change no one can believe in. Carville hasn't made a clear statement in his life.
You can't even hear what he is saying half the time. You dems can have the 3 Musketeers be my guest. I would be embaressed.

Think you have that wrong. When Rush says jump Rahm, Bagalia, Gibbs and Obama say how high !! The fact that they can act like they are in High School. Never saw a White House act so much like a bunch of Thugs that they are. Trying to play bully
Hey guys you aren't in Chicago anymore this is the big leagues.

The fact that the DNC has to divert attention from the President and the failing economy is a joke. trust me middle american isn't buying it. Rush is laughing all the way to the Bank. Spending money on a billboard ?? I would think they could give the money to a Soup Kitchen. they are just using this to stall the inevitable the AMERICAN PEOPLE AREN'T STUPID. We see right through this. And just to show you how desperate they are they have misquoted Rush's comments and taken them totally out of context. Not surprised. If you want to play at least get yoiur facts straight.

Rush and his Congressional minions are truly birds of political feathers. Listening to the Republican solution for freezing all Government spending, has validated my confidence in my choice (Obama) to run the country. The Rep`s proposals seem to be initiated by Beevus & Butthead.

The anti-Limbaugh strategy is a brilliant strategic stroke. Limbaugh is a Far Right nutbag who exemplifies what the Republican Party has come to represent in recent years. This is no longer Theodore Roosevelt's Republican Party.

I keep seeing exactly this phrase all over the WaPo site. This dittoheads can't even paraphrase a simple-minded notion like this. I guess it's because they don't even stop to think about it, they just grab it and pass it on.

Here's a paraphrase for you: "Tolerance of ignorant bigotry is no virtue."

Bonus points if you can figure out who I'm paraphrasing and why he is important in this context.

The libs are like the residents of Oz. Everytime you turn around it is a horse of a different color. Cheat on taxes. Enforce taxes. Spend like crazy. Cut deficits. End the war. Another surge. The surge is a failure. Close gitmo. In a while.

Meanwhile the wizard is a fraud. Don't look behind the curtain. He is actually just a carney on extended leave.

"Lastest rating reports show that Rush's audience has jumped from 20,000,0000 to 40,000,000 million while the Obama/Democrat stock market hits new lows. I hope this isn't the result Obama wanted when he picked a fight with a radio talkshow host but maybe it is."

Trust me, no one cares how Limbaugh does. This isn't about him. In fact, this is probably a good thing. The better Limbaugh rates, the more moronic he will behave. In doing so, he will make his party look even worse. I think it was Howard Dean who said this is good for Democrats, good for Limbaugh, but bad for Republicans.

The GOP are like Dorothy, Scarecrow, etc, quivering before the giant talking head of Rush Limbaugh. When are they going to be brave enough to pull back the curtain? I don't think any of them have the guts.

“It is suspicious that the some Attack Ads starring Limbaugh..and capitalzing on the White House campaign to demonize Republicans are funded/produced by Unions..and those ads coincide with the "nod" by Obama to the Union's Bill.
Quid Pro Quo? Tame media and paying for attack on a private citizen for unpopular views..This is America, right?”

Nothing by the unions is suspicious really. Blacks and Unions have been useful tools of the Democrats for 50 years. Looking back at those years you would be hard pressed to see the “progress” by these groups under their paternalistic keepers at this time. What is suspicious is that I know of one Democratic governor that is trying to regulate the imposition of a state mandated union for a certain group of workers. Scary implications.

Lastest rating reports show that Rush's audience has jumped from 20,000,0000 to 40,000,000 million while the Obama/Democrat stock market hits new lows. I hope this isn't the result Obama wanted when he picked a fight with a radio talkshow host but maybe it is.

It is suspicious that the some Attack Ads starring Limbaugh..and capitalzing on the White House campaign to demonize Republicans are funded/produced by Unions..and those ads coincide with the "nod" by Obama to the Union's Bill.
Quid Pro Quo? Tame media and paying for attack on a private citizen for unpopular views..This is America, right?
BTW..Limbaugh may be "copyrighted." Can the Democrats use him as a "star" in their productions without paying him? I think, if there are contributions ...it is commercial use..

"Is no one else the least bit alarmed that the government is usings its resources to target a private citizen?"

Fatboy Blowhard hasn't been a private citizen in 20 years. Anyone who holds forth on the public airwaves bloviating in loud obnoxious flatulent terms is a public figure. Whatever comes his way from that, he deserves.

James Carville reminds me of the smart bully in school who no matter what you said always had a clever comeback. No matter how good your argument, Carville is good enough with words that he can slime you. He's really an entertainer. His shtick is to oppose Republicans. He opposes ideas solely on the basis of whether a Republican supports them. A lot of Democrats love that. No one else takes him seriously.

enaughton27 wrote: "Is no one else the least bit alarmed that the government is usings its resources to target a private citizen?"

Can you describe for me what resources the government is using how to target Rush?

I know this is a popular Republican talking point right now, but the only government resource I see being spent on Rush is Emanual's off-hand compliment that he is the leading light of the Republican Party. Oooh. Scary.

-- Setting up a website to target the guy. Using White House resources to write talking points for distribution to liberal talking heads.

"ld Media puts in a herculean effort to make sure The One still looks like he is speaking extemporaneously by working overtime to make sure those speech prompters are NOT in the picture."
-----------
I am a NEW media producer, I specialize in video. I would NEVER deliberately put a teleprompter in the frame no matter who is speaking, in fact, can anyone name a time they've ever seen a televised or taped program that shows a teleprompter being used in the shot?

Don't be ridiculous, here you had a President who could barely speak the English language and spent most of his time playing grab-a$$ with the reporters compared to a President that speaks eloquently and in depth about topics and you try to focus on a production technique that is never used.

Rush Limbaugh reminds me of the smart bully in school who no matter what you said always had a clever comeback. No matter how good your argument, Limbaugh is good enough with words that he can slime you. He's really an entertainer. His shtick is to oppose Democrats. He opposes ideas solely on the basis of whether a Democrat supports them. A lot of Republicans love that. No one else takes him seriously.

This is the Game..The Straw Man
The Government (White House Staff) in collusion with a tame media (Carville/Propogandist) select a prominant private citizen or independant media person. Using half truths and distortions, this person is demonized. This is the "straw man." (Limbaugh/Jewish Banker)
The government/tame media claim this person is representative of a group of people (republicans/jews)
The government then uses that "straw man/group --guilty by association" (Republicans/Jews) to incite mobs..for donations, votes, speaking out and/or action against the Straw Man Demon.
The Germans were masters of this game. Rahm Emanuel/Carville are not new..
First they came for Limbaugh..Who is next?

Oops, I forgot, Republicans can never cause economic problems. Except when they do. Which is always. The last big recession occurred from 1981-1983. Reagan was president all those years. Zouk blames that on the previous president, Carter. Bush was president for 8 years. HIs economic policies are still in force. Obama has been president for a few weeks, and employment has been plunging since 2007, so this, of course, is all Obama's fault. In the words of Bugs Bunny, what a maroon....

John McCain's presidential campaign is over but four men who were intimately involved in that effort have banded together to form The Trailblazer Group, a GOP consulting firm based in Alexandria, Va
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Need a choreographer to help you walk around the debate stage as if you're in a fog? Got a veep you need to vet?

"Twitter Drive: As of yesterday, we are nearing 7,750 followers. The goal is 10,000. Perhaps a giveaway of a few Fix T-shirts would do the trick? Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Sign up to follow "TheFix" and "TheHyperFix." "

A T-SHIRT????

I tell you, these days, everybody with tons of money (the government, big corporations, banksters, etc) think that the little people can be bought with pennies or t-shirts.

Taxpaying Americans are not stupid as shown by the fact that they have already voted overwhelmingly to withdraw their money from stocks becuase they see Obama's policies amount to a Jihad against free enterprise. The result is already apparent, the biggest drop in stocks after the election of a president in 90 years.

Americans see the socialist experiment on the nightly news in Venezuela with it's 30,000% inflation and Zimbabwe with it's 231,000,000% inflation. they know socialism always begins with classwarfare cries like Obama's to reditribute wealth to those who it should have gone to in the first palce and then ends in the equality of misery for all.

They know Obama will have to pay for his ill advised wild spending spree payoffs to his special interest groups like the $4.1 Billon to his red shirt organizing group ACORN by print print printing money and they don't like it.

Mark, this is a little over my head, but the article does a good job of explaining the program. It seems like it would work, but I think the major issue is to determine what kinds of assets the government would take and for how much. You want to get credit flowing again, but you don't want to be too risky. I would think that the government would have to err on the side of being overly risky. That being said, I think the government can afford to sit on some of these bad assets for longer than a bank could, especially homes. You wouldn't expect their values to be depressed forever and whenever the values come back up, the government can sell them off. I think this is similar to what happened under FDR. A lot of these troubled housing assets were taking up by the government which had the luxury of being able to sit on them until prices came up.

Limbaugh is doing exactly what the democrats want him to do and that is to divide the republican party into two factions of which neither is capable of winning an election. Right now Rush is a great asset for the democrats and a toxic asset for the republicans. MEGA DILDOS RUSH!!

"In recent weeks, a growing number of conservatives have hopped on the Rush Limbaugh bandwagon, saying they agree with his repeated statements that he hopes President Obama fails. Michelle Malkin, Tom Delay, Rick Santorum, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) have all said they want Obama’s policies to fail.

The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, however, seems to disagree with this sentiment. In an interview with Fox and Friends yesterday, Kristol broke with the Limbaugh line. Discussing Obama’s recent actions to fix the economy with progressive blogger David Sirota, Kristol said that Americans “should” “hope” that Obama’s policies “succeed”:

Q: Are people still holding on to [their hope] thinking he will be able to change the problems we are now facing?

KRISTOL: Look, Americans wish a new president well. They hope his policies succeed, as they should.

Watch it:

Is Kristol, one of the most influential conservative pundits, going toe-to-toe with Rush Limbaugh, also one of the most influential conservative pundits? Thus far, those who dared to challenge the mighty Limbaugh have quickly kneeled before him (see e.g., Michael Steele, Rep. Phil Gingrey, and Gov. Mark Sanford).

Will Kristol resist the pressure, or will he fall in line like all the others?"

I have to say for once, good for Kristol. He is patriotic, unlike the limbaugh dittoheads, traitors who want America to fail.

Let's hope Kristol stands his ground and doesn't end up kissing rush's butt like the rest of the R leadrship.

How long will Lib's let Obama continue to destroy the economy, and all confidence in the economy, while allowing him to blame it on Bush? Two years? Four years? Or sixty--as we now know FDR drove the economy farther into a ditch while blaming Hoover!

Rush is laughing all the way to the bank. I would challenge all those that are slamming Limbaugh to listen to him for two weeks. You might be surprised that your viewpoint might change. (Swedish lady was just on his show saying that they have raised taxes so high in that socialist country that the people making big money such as ABBA and Bjorn Borg have left the country. Consequently, the average person has to pay more (26%)since their is no large tax income from celebrities.)

I'm sorry WHAT? Rush Limbaugh is divisive? he is a RADIO HOST...a commentator.

want to talk about Divisive...no need to look further than the democrats very own ELECTED OFFICIAL Nancy Pelosi!

I'm thinkin' Rush is hitting some nerves with the dems if they have to go to these extreme measures. and i think it is absolutely hilarious. If there was nothing to any of the remarks he makes....then they wouldn't be so bothered by it.

Nathan Daschle, Jen O-malley Dillon, Terry McAuliffe....should GROW THE $^%&% UP! My gosh, here's an ideo for you three....how about putting a thimble full of the energy wasted on trying to trash Rush Limbaugh and I'm sure anyone else who isn't drinking the kool-aid toward correcting problems within your own party....such as teaching Nancy 'he gave a statement' Pelosi how to not open her mouth and divide congress.

Rush Limpball is the biggest dumbA$$ on radio and TV. Only the Republican brain-dead and knuckle draggier watch or listen to him anyway. I wouldn't waste my time listening to one word the fat pompous, drug addicted, bald numb-nuts had to say...What has Limpball ever gotten right, just name me one thing...He is a Pompous blow hard, who knows nothing about politics, he just spouts his creep UN-American, Anti-Constitutional views.

Actually, Rush is reviled by over 75% of the population. Which is why the Democrats are picking on him...they're trying to peel off moderates. That makes this comment more than a little misleading.

The reason Democrats as a whole are excited is because Rush does a better job of debunking the false face of the Republican party than the Dems could have ever hoped to. No matter what some in the Safire/Buckley minortity of the party delude themselves into thinking (see Chris Buckley's column pre-election), it's time they realized the Republican party of today was built by the repellent Southern Strategy, and the "base" Rush is appealing to are leftover Dixiecrats and those who think like them. As a southerner, I couldn't be more thrilled to see finally, that's all that's left. So thanks to Rush for so clearly pointing that out.

"Rush and his ilk are like sports talk radio on politics. There's no juice in just reading the scores, you have to promote hate (of athletes, Dem pols, whatever). Real insight is too hard and too dull."

For a president who demanded an end to “childish things,” the campaign against Limbaugh is incredibly cynical. Former Bush communications director Nicolle Wallace on how it’s playing out in the West Wing.

I can picture it now. They’re hunkered down in Rahm Emanuel’s West Wing office watching MSNBC’s 1,089th straight hour of Rush vs. Obama coverage. Carville is on the speaker phone. Begala is wearing an appointment badge and he and Axelrod are on the couch when Gibbs strolls in: “I popped him again at my briefing today.” They are so happy that Operation Rushbo is going as they planned, but they know they need to keep it fresh, so they’ve gathered to strategize about the next steps. Carville pipes in: “The media outlets will start adding Rush to their polls by this weekend. We let that happen and then we point to their polls. That’ll be better than doing another one of our own, now that this cat’s out of the bag.”

.........Obama will go down in history as the "Great Divider" and the liberal fascists at the POST will go down as one of his corrupt "enablers"........FACT

hahaah the liberals are really pulling out the stops since its obvious that their "boy" is going to spend so much that there is no way they stand a chance at getting elected in 3 years 9 months. Pitty really, people should be more concerned with the outrageous corruption instead they tolerate is as long as one of their issues is addressed.. they dont mind that the congressman just padded thier bill with 6 million in extra pork.. We are such lemmings...

I used to listen to Rush. I still would, occasionally, if I had time. But you cannot take him seriously. He's an entertainer, just like Ann Coulter. He's moved rightward, because that is where the money is. More Dem outrage, more pub, more listeners, more money. Meanwhile, Dem pols are happy to help because they can use him as a bogeyman in fundraising efforts (Bush is gone, he's still here). It's ALL about money.

Rush and his ilk are like sports talk radio on politics. There's no juice in just reading the scores, you have to promote hate (of athletes, Dem pols, whatever). Real insight is too hard and too dull. Hate is easy, cheap and adds listeners. But if turning on a dime resulted in more cash, they'd all turn on a dime. The only people who really take it seriously are the gullible listeners. At the end of the day, Rush, GOP pols and Dem pols have way more in common with each other than with us, because THEY have OUR money, and they're happy to help each other get more.

Democrats need to stay somewhat on the sidelines of this. If your opponents are in the process of dragging them selves down you don't get into the middle of it, you just provide them with a little encouragement once in a while.

In my opinion, The White House should stay away from the food fight now. Let the Republicans continue to make their party look stupid by kissing up to Rush's posterior.

enaughton27 wrote: "Is no one else the least bit alarmed that the government is usings its resources to target a private citizen?"

Can you describe for me what resources the government is using how to target Rush?

I know this is a popular Republican talking point right now, but the only government resource I see being spent on Rush is Emanual's off-hand compliment that he is the leading light of the Republican Party. Oooh. Scary.

Apparently, we are going to invite the wealthy to help the country out of the hole, but unlike Disraeli, who made such an invitation based on patriotism, this will be accompanied by a federal loan and guarantee that is bigger than any program offered so far. The "money" quote:

"The program, which could involve the government lending nearly $1 trillion to these investors, exceeds the size of every other federal effort to address the crisis so far."

If you folks want to continue to argue the merits and demerits of political bashing and defending of a radio commentator you are as distracted as the two political parties.

But the list of causes of the collapse of the financial system does not include the absence of universal health care, let alone of computerized medical records. Nor the absence of an industry-killing cap-and-trade carbon levy. Nor the lack of college graduates. Indeed, one could perversely make the case that, if anything, the proliferation of overeducated, Gucci-wearing, smart-ass MBAs inventing ever more sophisticated and opaque mathematical models and debt instruments helped get us into this credit catastrophe in the first place.

And yet with our financial house on fire, Obama makes clear both in his speech and his budget that the essence of his presidency will be the transformation of health care, education and energy. Four months after winning the election, six weeks after his swearing in, Obama has yet to unveil a plan to deal with the banking crisis.

Without notes, he answers some of the most difficult questions that I have ever heard asked of any President.

>>>>>>>>>>

and FDR ran marathons. Are you Libs really that clueless?

\Carol E. Lee of Politico had a short March 5 piece about President Obama's singular inability to give a speech, even short ones, without the crutch of a TelePrompter in front of him to prod him about what to say next. This isn't the only time the media has raised its eyebrow about the president's TelePrompters (I even covered it myself not long ago), so the story isn't a new one, but one little thing that Lee wrote reveals how the media goes out of its way to help Obama's image by keeping the devices out of Obama's photography.

His use of the teleprompter makes work tricky for the television crews and photographers trying to capture an image of the president announcing a new Cabinet secretary or housing plan without a pane of glass blocking his face.

In other words, the Old Media puts in a herculean effort to make sure The One still looks like he is speaking extemporaneously by working overtime to make sure those speech prompters are NOT in the picture.

Lee also explains how unusual the reliance on TelePrompters is, especially for a president that has a reputation as a great orator. Lee reveals that "no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small."

Now, here is a question for you. If, say, President George W. Bush had tried to roll out the TelePrompter at every tiny little gathering at which he spoke, and if the Old Media had realized how "unusual" this crutch was, would they have taken such great pains to be sure that the TelePrompters did not appear in the video footage or the still frame camera shots of the president? Or would one expect, rather, the Old Media to try and make Bush look bad by including those crutch speech helpers in every shot they'd take?

Yet, for The One, they try their hardest to keep the TelePrompters out of Obama's shots.

Is no one else the least bit alarmed that the government is usings its resources to target a private citizen? Love him, hate him, or disregard him, Rush might have a mike, but he's not in elected office. So when I see Gibbs, Obama's White House, and various Dem Congressmen spending public time to attack a private citizen, I get very very alarmed about the state of the state.

And, of course, many Republicans are pooh-poohing Democrats' attention to Limbaugh as a "diversion" away from such things as government spending--at which they'd prefer to see everyone blindly nit-picking. Regarding diversions, such as Obama's former pastor during the 2008 campaign, I guess it's just a matter whose ox (or more appropriately these days, "pig") is being gored.

A little lesson was taught and Mr. Steele got the message: you ain't in charge of nothin' so shut up.

He did and he apologized. All in front of the world.

Mr. Steele should remember this: the Republican Party did not make all those in roads into the south in the 1960s and 1970s by supporting integration and ending segregation, by supporting equal rights for all people, nor by working with government officials to open public institutions to blacks (from schools to diner counters).

A token is a token even if he's a Steele token.

The big fat white entertainer speaks for the white folks down der on the right. It's a white man's club.

Mr. Steele misunderstood his role in the show and thought he was the host. Not so.

The Republican's can't be happy with the truth of their regime, but as Mr. Ghandi once pointed out: the truth always prevails in time.

Rush doesn't want Obama to raise the tax on the 400 million dollars he's going to make over the next 8 years. How much of his millions has he given to charities like foodbanks who are helping to feed families who can't put food on the table or even worse because they don't have a kitchen or kitchen table because one or both parents have lost their jobs through no fault of their own?

Rush only values himself. His incendiary remarks are crafted to rile people and to increase his ratings. The higher his ratings are the more money he can demand on his next contract.

It bothers me as to why Republicans who don't agree with him are so afraid to oppose him. My only guess is that they hope he will give them some of his 400 million to help finance their next campaigns.

Everytime I listen to Obama, I am really proud to be an American. Without notes, he answers some of the most difficult questions that I have ever heard asked of any President. For those who ridicule Obama, I suggest that they consider what they would hear if Bush were actually being presidential. From Bush's known q & a sessions with people, he was barely coherent.

Rush Limbaugh is a good target for moderates and liberals. His form of bluster and hate-speech has been exposed for what it truly is. I knew years ago that Rush and I were not on the same planet. This does not mean that I discount everything conservative or Republican. The only other person that I can think of that truly repulses me is Ann Colter. Her sleezy dress and her cut-throat manner do the Christian right no good.

Up to this point, Obama has maintained his cool. The Republicans are doing everything that they can to blame Obama for the statements of others, actually saying that Obama said this and that when it may have been his chief of staff, the press secretary, or someone else.

I was very happy to see the cameras on the White House health care conference yesterday. Even the hard-nosed Republicans were forced to be civil in their responses to President Obama, even being effusive in their compliments at times. Miracles never cease.

President Obama has already demonstrated that he is ready, indeed more than capable and ready to serve as the CEO of this great nation. He has also made a strong case for planning well into the future so that we can all see how the investments made today at considerable expense will give the returns down the road.

Ronald Reagan had a lot on the Ball. George W. Bush had his father. Rush Limbaugh has neither. A podium to spout from, but spewing filth merely puts him with Howard Stern. However if the Republicans can't do any better, which obviously they can't, they are welcome to him. The GOP is dredging the bottom of the barrel.

The Bush Justice Department "torture memos," some still secret, are believed to have been used to provide legal justification for the covert use of classified, silent microwave radiation weapons on U.S. citizens -- "targeted" under the pretext of the "war on terror" as "undesirables" and "dissidents."

Victims, including the journalist who authored the articles linked below, say these painful, debilitating and illness-inducing microwave assaults constitute torture and "slow-kill," a military descriptive for prolonged assaults that eventually desult in death -- what could be described as an American genocide.

Victims of these assaults say their family finances are decimated by an array of secret "programs of personal financial destruction" that involve the forced cooperation of private enterprise; surveillance and interception of mail and telecommunications; and the forging of billing, utility, banking and mortgage statements -- what they charge is a process of expropriation and theft by deception.

Sources say these covert programs were justified by the Bush Justice Department under legal theories that are said to include a suspected "nexus to terrorism" and, according to a source, the legal theory that weapons and/or medical experimentation on U.S. citizens is permissible if subjects are under federal investigation for suspected offenses.

These microwave weapons assaults have continued under the Obama administration, and are facilitated by an "extrajudicial punishment network" enabled by federal agencies; local police nationwide; and "community gang stalker" citizen vigilantes fronted by government-funded community policing and volunteer organizations.

***

Victims have asked the FBI/Justice Department to launch a civil rights investigation. They say officials have told them they see nothing to investigate, and hint that victim accounts are delusional.

Victims maintain that marginalizing the persecuted as "unstable" or "mentally ill" is a tactic being used to cover up crimes against humanity, a highly organized and well-funded social genocide.

folks, why do rushlimpball and his gop buddies want prez obama to fail?

* they support more tax cuts for the rich, repeating the myth that tax cut increases revenue when in fact tax cut has doubled the deficit in the last 8 years.

* they oppose helping the middle class, from health care reform to extended unemployment benefits, foreclosure, labor, or anything that will help the middle class. let’s face it: many of the most vocal opponents of prez obama are themselves are rich.

* they want to bankrupt america with more trickle-down economics, more tax cuts, more subsidize to businesses and energy companies, more downsizing and moving jobs oversea.

* they want to destroy the environment, don’t believe in climate change, and oppose any climate change reform.

Let’s face it: they supported prez bush for 8 years and not only they have refused to accept responsibility for the failures but they want to blame everything on prez obama, from the decline in the stock market to the recession and everything. they want to spread hate, fear, and smear the prez because he wants to help middle class america.

It is time to expose rush and his gop buddies for what they actually stand for.

U.S. Army Retired,
You republicans keep stating the Surge worked, and that the Dems refuse to give you credit for it. One of the reasons we don't is because although the surge did help, thing improved mostly becuase the Army started paying rival tribes huge sums of money and the Iraqis themselves wanted more control over their own safety. When the violents by Iraqis started killing more of their children then the US did, they took offense to it. So, unlike republicans, we dems wanted the war to come to an end and the stop killing of our troops, we had no problem with it being done, by whatever reasonable means available. Please add the parts the Iraqis themselves and the US dollars played in the reduction of violence, as much the Surge when you brag.

AndyR3 writes
"I think with this fund-raising push the Democrats should start to faze out the Rush strategy. They made their point and they can always revisit it later when he makes another stupid comment. But if it goes on much longer it will look petty and stupid."

Agreed. Rush & the GOP do a good enough job digging their own holes, Dems should get out of the way & focus on getting something productive done.

This is the first post to go thru in two days. thanks Chris. As to Rash Limpbaugh, when he was featured last week with Karl TB Rove, they looked like Evil Twin bookends? Rush is a mental and emotional Eunich. He has had some success as an entertainer, but he would appear to draw the same 25% of listeners as supported Geo Bush Jr? The Party Of NO solutions are very desperate? Michael Steele may be a dead man walking politically, and the other very Odd couple twin, Bobby Jindal, shot himself in both speach feet. rcm.

Currently, i am shut-out and unable to post any opinions by microsoft. when i attempt to post, i get a boxed statement saying line 96 overflow with an ok choice? I have no idea what line 96 overflow means? The post page just runs in circles for hours without posting or allowing access to the blogs. it shuts me out of both posting and reading other blogs? This smells of censorship at its worst, and I will be making phone calls to my state rep Earl Buemenhaur (sp) today. it would appear that the circular path to no-where without explanation is absolute censorship? rcm.

This is Rush ‘Bluto’ Limbaugh who wants our president to fail. What would the Animal House gang at the Republican Party said if any Democrats said that about Iraq

Brad:
Get back to your numbers. The lousy , subversive democrats did just that for a couple of years. Where do you live, in a cave?
Your empty suit hero said the surge wouldn't work, and never admitted that it did. Keep up the name calling, it proves my point about hateful narrow minded little liberal children.
U.S.Army Retired

Rush Limbaugh is so much like the John Belushi character of Bluto in Animal House. The overweight, overbearing, drunken, womanizing Bluto would rather have a food fight than work for on his 0.0 GPA. This is Rush ‘Bluto’ Limbaugh who wants our president to fail. What would the Animal House gang at the Republican Party said if any Democrats said that about Iraq Limbaugh is right about one thing. There is a media bias but it is not a liberal bias it is a conservative bias. Bluto is running the Republican Party and that is all there is to it.

Despite all the Republican attempts to portray this as a cynical Democratic plot, (in which they are all blameless of course) there is a serious underlying issue to this clown act.

President Obama has made repeated attempts to engage members of the minority in policy discussion and development, and as of yet the level of cooperation has been apparently non-existant.

Rush has stated the conservative position clearly. They want everything Obama does to fail. And as of yet, no Republican will repudiate Rush.

So the question is a serious one. Are Democrats wasting their time engaging the Republicans? Significant policy differences are one thing, but deliberate policy sabotage is something else. Voters have a right to know the answer to this question, and journalists have a responsibility dig at it without letting Republicans blameshift the issue.

Any Republican lawmaker who resents being associated with Rush's desire for America to fail has an easy way out. Wetting themselves and trying to blame Democrats isn't it.

Why do I feel like I need to take a bath everytime Terry McAuliffe opens his mouth. WHy should state Attorney General Bob McDonnell denounce Rush? Shouldn't he be focuins on our Commonwealth and not on the petty games being played here on Capitol Hill?

McAuliffe realizes he isn't running a national campaign, doesn't he? It must be hard for a person who's spent the past twelve years circumnavigating the high-donor world of National Democratic politics to narrow his focus on only one state.

Folks, McAuliffe no more cares about Virginia than George W. Bush does. This is all about setting himself up for bigger and better things four years from now.

I think with this fund-raising push the Democrats should start to faze out the Rush strategy. They made their point and they can always revisit it later when he makes another stupid comment. But if it goes on much longer it will look petty and stupid.

Also Lamont has no chance of winning the Governer's race in Connecticut. His victory in the Democratic primary was because the Republicans were running an addicted gambler as their candidate, and the liberals of the Nutmeg state wanted to send a message to Lieberman. When it got back to actually voting someone into office he got smoked. I have seen him speak on TV and IMO he is a blowhole with no real substance behind him.

I watch all the anger and derision directed at Limbaugh, and it's very illustrative. Liberals are supposed to be the tolerant people, the caring people. Not from where I sit. Their hate is obvious for anyone who disagrees with them. Most of the worst comments are made, I would bet by those who haven't listened to Limbaugh, but just swallow the democrat crap about him.
He stands for individual initiative, not big government. He doesn't want the governemtn running the private sector. He's against killing unborn babies. He wants smaller government.
Obama is rapidly trying to do just the opposite.
If you narrrow little minds who hate Limbaugh want to lose your freedoms, your retirement, your children's future, that's OK. Clearly you can't defend the dishonest empty suit in the White House, so you attack Limbaugh.
And some of you call his listeners robots. How hypocritical.

You may have noticed that Rush is not looking at all well. You have to pity the guy, I suppose - all alone in that ginormous mansion, three failed marriages but no kids (is he sterile, or just impotent?), and no real benefits to show for all his years of bloviation. Well, maybe that last isn't quite true - there are probably some people who have derived some inspiration from his story - but the movement that he leads is in shambles, struggling to regain its lost relevance. Though I would not wish him ill, I wonder how long it will be before the years of cigars, Ruth's Chris steaks, and carefully engineered hypertensive outrage finally catch up with him.